


Smith, Tyler, and Jones

by harmony88



Series: Forever With You [10]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Action & Romance, Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:47:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27972599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harmony88/pseuds/harmony88
Summary: COMPLETEFive days after Christmas, the Doctor and Rose are still in London with Jackie, Pete, and Tony. An unexpected event leads them to the hospital, where they meet Martha Jones, and find out not everything at Royal Hope Hospital is at it seems.“Come on,” he said, holding his hand out.“I am not letting you drive my car, you daft alien! Rose has told me about your landing skills!” she protested. He ignored her, helping her off the couch and leading her toward the door. “Doctor, stop!”“Which is it, then, Jackie? Me drive your car or you ride in the TARDIS?” he said. She just stared at him, and he dangled the keys in front of her. “Thought so! Go, get in, and wait for me. I’ll be right back.”
Relationships: Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler
Series: Forever With You [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2030980
Comments: 8
Kudos: 142





	1. Domestic Days

**Author's Note:**

> Excited about this one! I wanted to find a way to tie Martha into their lives. In this AU world, assume the entirety of series 3 & 4 never happened, so they had to meet her somehow! Hope you enjoy!

The Doctor was up late, flipping channels on Jackie’s television. The volume was turned down low so as not to wake any of the humans who were currently asleep in the house, and he settled on some cheesy 21st century rom com, chuckling at the outrageous plotlines. 

His guilty pleasure. He blames Rose. 

They had been in London for five days, following their visit for Christmas. As he aimlessly watched his truly ridiculous film, he reached over to the end table, where Rose’s brilliant present was resting - a rubik's cube she had designed that would create a map of each constellation they had visited in the last sixth months when he put it all together. She refused to tell him _when_ in all their travels she had time to plan it, and it really was quite wonderful. He had already solved it about eighteen times, but he felt his hearts flutter everytime no matter what. 

They hadn’t planned on staying so long, but Jackie caught the flu that turned into something akin to bronchitis, then gave it to Pete, then Rose, and no one except his wife would let him help speed up the healing process. Rose was fine now, just sleeping, but Jackie and Pete were still dealing with it, which meant the Stuff of Legend were looking after Tony, for the most part. And he had to admit, that tiny human child was wrapping him around his finger quickly. 

Three years ago, he would have been jumping at the gates to get back to the TARDIS. But today, he knew they would return to the stars the moment Jackie and Pete were better, and he was trying to just live in the here and now. 

And sure enough, thinking that way had let it become a very nice visit. They hadn’t spent much time just sitting, recently. Sure, they had taken a few days after each trip over the last few months to stay in the Vortex if they needed to, but it wasn’t the same as sitting at home all day with his little human family. He did enjoy it greatly, as much as Jackie drove him up the wall. 

His mother-in-law. He knows she loves him. And he loves her. 

After all, she made Rose. 

He smirked as he thought about this, and settled further into the sofa, his legs propped up on the coffee table, hands whirling around the rubik’s cube. He was so engrossed, he didn’t hear Rose’s footsteps enter the room, and she watched him from the doorway, dressed in one of his white undershirts and her sleep shorts, her hair tied up on the top of her head. 

“Figured out the crab nebula, yet?” she asked after a while, and he jumped, the rubik’s cube slipping from his hand and landing on the couch beside him. 

“Blimey, Rose,” he said, recovering quickly. His legs dropped to the floor and his hand moved to smooth his hair. She grinned and pushed herself away from the doorframe, moving to join him on the couch, resting her legs over his. He smirked a little when he saw she was once again wearing his shirt to bed, and he began to rub her bare legs, propping his head against the cushion as she locked his chocolates with her hazel galaxies. 

“Are you watching the one about the princess at Christmas?” she asked, biting her lip and trying not to smile. 

“Oh, I wasn’t really paying attention, truth be told,” he said, shrugging. 

“Mhm,” Rose said, her tongue trailing her lip as she snuggled closer to him. 

“You should be resting,” he told her, kissing her forehead. She just snuggled closer. 

“Sleep better when you’re with me,” she told him. He smiled. 

“Come on, let’s go,” he said, and started to move off the couch, but she grabbed his hand and pulled him back. 

“No, wanna watch the movie,” she mumbled. “I know you do, too.” 

“Rose, I am a Time Lord, I don’t have time to worry about trivial things like cheesy Christmas movies,” he told her. She just raised her eyebrow at him. 

“Has she met the prince yet?” she asked. The Doctor sighed. 

“No, she just arrived at the ice skate rink,” he mumbled. Rose felt the corner of her lips curl despite every effort she made to make them stop, and he shook his head at her, giving her a bemused look. To her credit, she didn’t comment any further, but she did grab the throw blanket from the back of the couch and drape it over her legs as they rested on his. 

They watched the film for a while, the Doctor enjoying it even more now that Rose was sprawled across his lap, and he eventually stopped trying to hide his laughter or comments about the plot holes. 

“I’m just saying, Rose, if she was so concerned about hiding her identity, she should have chosen a full mask for the ball!” he said. 

“It’s a masquerade ball!” she countered, and laughed as he just rolled his eyes. 

Rose was starting to feel a little sleepy, and had shifted at one point so her head was in his lap instead, his fingers rubbing circles in her hair, and just as she was about to nod off, a green light on the screen caught her eyes. 

The Doctor noticed it, too. 

She sat up, and he moved off the couch, kneeling in front of the screen. He whipped out his sonic screwdriver and scanned. 

“Any chance mum just needs a new telly?” Rose asked, pulling a pillow onto her lap. The Doctor was still staring at the screen, buzzing away. 

“Seems fine,” he said. “I can take it apart and -” 

“Don’t you dare, we still owe her a toaster,” Rose said, remembering the events two days ago, when the Doctor attempted to make ‘upgrades.’ 

He shot her a playful glare and moved away from the screen. 

“Nothing came up, I say we just go to sleep, hm? You’re practically already there,” he said, chuckling at how much of her eyelids he was currently looking at. 

“I’mma check on Tony first, meet you there?” she said, yawning. He slipped his hand into hers, and squeezed. 

“I’ll go with you,” he said. 

They moved the nursery upstairs, across the hall from their room, and cracked the door open. They could see him sleeping soundly against the light of his spaceship nightlight - the Doctor’s Christmas present to him. Rose found it was unbelievably thoughtful, and Jackie had teared up a little, too, when she helped Tony open it. 

“See? He’s just fine,” he said and Rose nodded. “Bedtime.” 

They made it back to their room, and Rose wordlessly crawled under the covers, making room for the Doctor next to her. He slid beside her, but his mind was swimming back to the strange light. Rose could feel his restlessness through their many bonds, and she placed her lips to his. 

“You said it was nothing,” she whispered. 

“It is, or at least, I think it is,” he said. 

“Then sleep, now. Love you,” she murmured, resting her head on his chest. 

He waited until she had drifted off, before kissing her hand lightly and slipping back downstairs. 

He proceeded to take the television apart anyway. He wasn’t sure what he was looking for, but the light made him think of nanogenes or something similar, and he was laying with his back on the rug, the screen above his head, turning it in a circle when he saw it. A small burn mark in the shape of a dash, etched into the glass. 

He placed the glass on the table, and scanned the dash for any residual material that may be left behind, but it came up inconclusive. 

He scrunched his face and sniffed, biting his cheek as he turned back to the mess of parts he now had sprawled on the floor, and went to the bathroom, grabbing a q-tip. He brushed the burn marks with it, and then walked to the kitchen, grabbing a plastic sandwich bag and placing the cotton inside. 

He walked outside to the backyard, curiosity bubbling in his chest, and entered the TARDIS, where he spent the next two hours trying to analyze the burn mark residue. He got up while she was running a scan and made a quick cuppa, returning to his seat in the lab and throwing his glasses back on, waiting impatiently for any results he could find. 

Stardust. 

“Aha!” he shouted, “But from where?” 

He was trying to put as many pieces together as he could, and was now thinking that something must have landed on the planet, something that probably needed an transmitter like a television station to make a smooth landing, and therefore everyone who was watching that station would have seen the flash. 

At least, that’s what his big Time Lord brain suspected, and he started to rack his mind for species he knew who might require that much power when traveling through space. 

He had narrowed it down to possibly three, but the TARDIS couldn’t help him figure out which one - the sample wasn’t big enough. He sighed. Three was a good starting point, and he decided it was time to put the television back together before any of the humans woke up. 

His innate connection to time told him four hours had passed since he first entered the blue doors, which meant he should have about an hour and a half before anyone would be awake. 

He forgot to take into account one unpredictable variable: Jackie Tyler was sick. 

Which meant she woke up two hours earlier than usual to a coughing fit, and then couldn’t go back to sleep. 

Her hands were on her hips and she was standing in the middle of the living room when he walked back into the house. 

“Do I even want to know?” she asked, not even slightly amused at the state of her television. 

“I’m gonna fix it,” he said. “Promise.” 

Jackie just looked at him, feeling too lousy to argue, and he had to admit he was a little grateful. He then felt guilty for thinking that, and she just sighed as she sat on the couch. “Go on, then.” 

The Doctor rocked on his heels, and cleared his throat. “Alright.” 

He moved to the mess, and worked silently as Jackie’s gaze hovered over him. “Do you have to stare?” 

“Oi, watch it,” she warend. “Not my fault you got so bored you took apart the telly. Just fix it before I smack you.” 

He knew she meant it, and was in a rather crappy mood from her illness, so he bit his tongue as he reattached the back of the box. 

“I wasn’t bored,” he eventually said, unable not to. She coughed. 

“What?” she asked. He looked at her. 

“Jackie, how long has your cough been like that?” he asked. She shrugged. 

“I dunno, a day or so. What do you mean you weren’t bored?” she asked. He shook his head. 

“Doesn’t matter. Mind if I…” he said, holding up his sonic screwdriver. She groaned. 

“Why?” she asked. He moved to her, doing it anyway, and immediately went and grabbed the car keys from the counter by the door. 

“Come on,” he said, holding his hand out. 

“I am not letting you drive my car, you daft alien! Rose has told me about your landing skills!” she protested. He ignored her, helping her off the couch and leading her toward the door. “Doctor, stop!” 

“Which is it, then, Jackie? Me drive your car or you ride in the TARDIS?” he said. She just stared at him, and he dangled the keys in front of her. “Thought so! Go, get in, and wait for me. I’ll be right back.” 

He raced upstairs as Jackie huffed in the doorway. He slipped into his room with Rose and moved to her. 

“Rose, Rose, love, wake up,” he said, gently nudging her. She stirred, one eye opening a little. 

“What is it?” she mumbled. 

“Your mum’s cough has me worried. I’m taking her to the hospital since she’s refused so many times to let me help her. Want to come?” he asked. 

She jumped out of bed immediately, leaving his shirt on but throwing jeans over her shorts, and ran downstairs with him. 

“Jackie! Car! Now!” the Doctor ordered, and Rose ran to her. 

“Mum, let the Doctor help you on the TARDIS,” Rose said, grabbing her hand. 

“I’m fine, you lot are just prone to universe shattering things each and every day. I know myself, I’m fine!” she said. She started to cough again, and the Doctor looked at Rose as her eyes widened. 

“Mum, for me?” she asked. He could feel her uneasiness through their bond, and Jackie sighed. 

“Oh alright, fine! But I’m going to the hospital, no alien medicine!” she said, exasperated. “But someone needs to stay with Tony! Pete is still sick.” 

Rose sighed. The Doctor knew her mother, she had to give him that. And it was the best they were going to get from her. 

“He’s not nearly as bad as you, Mum,” Rose said. “But I’ll stay. The Doctor will be better to have at a hospital. I’ll join when I can.” 

Jackie wanted to protest, but the Doctor kissed Rose and opened the front door. He nudged his mind to her as Jackie walked out to the car. Her eyes glowed before they settled back to normal. 

_I will call you the moment she’s checked in. Call Donna, I’m sure she can babysit if you want to be there._

_Thank you_

She couldn’t say more, but he nodded to her and then closed the door.


	2. She's Family

Driving a car, it turns out, was not quite as simple as riding a bike, but the Doctor managed to get Jackie to Royal Hope Hospital in one piece. She glared at him as they exited the car, and he just smiled at her, ignoring her comments about trying to kill her as they checked in. 

An hour later, Jackie was getting situated in a room, and a woman walked in. Her black hair was pulled back into a ponytail.

“Hello, there,” she said as she pulled the curtain closed, grabbing the chart on the bed. “I’m Dr. Martha Jones. You must be Jackie?” 

“Yeah, that’s me,” she said, tapping her foot against the bed. 

“And who are you?” she asked, looking at the Doctor. 

“I’m the -” he began, but Jackie interrupted. 

“He’s my daft son-in-law who dragged me here against my will, that’s who he is!” she shrieked, but then she started to cough, and Martha’s eyes met his. The moment of pride he felt being called her son quickly melted to concern. 

“I’m the Doctor,” he said. She nodded. 

“Nice to meet you. I have to say Jackie, I think he did the right thing. That cough sounds awful. I want to run a few tests, okay?” she said. Jackie just waved her hand, trying to catch her breath, and Martha looked at the Doctor again, nodding to him. 

When she left, the Doctor looked at Jackie. She refused to make eye contact, and he sat in the chair beside her. 

“You okay?” he asked. She sighed. 

“I’m fine,” she told him. He nodded, not believing her at all. 

“Can I borrow your phone? Told Rose I’d tell her when you were situated,” he said. He could try their bond, but they hadn’t practised with such a long distance yet, so the phone seemed safer for now.

With a huff, Jackie pulled her mobile out of her pocket and handed it to him. He stepped out of the room while he dialed, and filled Rose in. She told him she’d be there within the next couple hours, and that she had told Pete what was going on. He wanted her to go, so she also told him he was right and Donna was more than happy to make sure Tony was okay since Pete was still contagious. 

“Good,” he said. “I love you. She’ll be fine, but I just wanted someone to look at it.” 

“Thank you,” Rose said, but the Doctor could hear the worry in her voice. 

“Rose,” he said. “She’ll be okay.” 

“Yeah, ‘course.” 

There was silence for a moment, before Rose said she’d see him soon and hung up before he could respond. 

“Was that your wife?” Martha’s voice asked from behind him. He turned, smiling at her. 

“Yeah, she’s on her way. Well, almost,” he said. “I was wondering if I could have privileges while Jackie is here? I’m a doctor, too. I know it would make Rose feel better.” 

He held up his psychic paper from his coat, and Martha looked at his credentials. 

“It’ll be up to my Chief, come with me,” she said. 

They walked through the hallway together, and the Doctor looked over at her. 

“So, Doctor Martha Jones, what year are you?” he asked. 

“Third. Residency, family medicine. What about you?” she asked. 

“Oh, I s’pose you could say I mostly do neuro, though I am familiar...well.. everything, really,” he said. 

“You’re a surgeon?” she asked. 

“No,” he said simply, and Martha gave him a funny look as they approached the door to the Chief of Medicine. She knocked on the door, and it took the Doctor all of three minutes to convince her to let him have full access to the facility. 

“Brilliant!” he said, and flashed a smile at Martha. She couldn’t help but smile back. Something about him was intriguing, and she followed him back to Jackie’s room. “I tried to get her to let me help her two days ago and she refused. She’s stubborn.” 

“I sort of got that, yeah,” Martha said, which made the Doctor smirk. 

Something caught his eye as Martha pushed the door open, a tall doctor with brown hair, watching them from across the room. His brow furrowed, and his eyes locked with his, before Jackie’s shouting at Martha pulled him back. 

“How big of a needle?!” she asked. Martha sighed. 

“We have to drain the fluid in your lungs, Mrs. Tyler,” she said. “I can hear it when you cough. I also want to do an x-ray so we can see what we’re dealing with. We will do that first, I just wanted you to know -” 

“Did he put you up to this?” she asked, looking at the Doctor. He sighed. 

“Jackie!” he snapped. “Stop.” She stared at him as he said this, and opened her mouth to protest but he raised his eyebrows and his finger at the same time, and placed them on his lips. “Shh. The more you talk, the harder it will be to breathe until the fluid is drained. And I know how much you want to yell at me, I want to yell at you too, frankly, but right now, I need you to shut up and let Martha work. For Rose. For Tony. Got it?” 

Martha watched the exchange with wide eyes. There was a long history here, she could tell, and she watched as Jackie leaned against the pillow and nodded, a tear spilling out of her eye. The Doctor noticed it, and looked at Martha. “Can we have a moment?” 

She nodded, and walked out. The Doctor looked back at Jackie, who’s lip started to tremble. 

The Doctor did not do well with crying Tyler women. 

“Jackie,” he said softly. “I’m sorry.” 

“You were right,” she said, and he looked at her, surprised. “I…” 

“What?” he asked. 

“I’m scared, you idiot!” she snapped. His eyes widened, and then he broke out into a brilliant smile. 

“Jackie Tyler!” he said, moving to sit on the edge of her bed. “You have fought and survived the Slitheen, the Cybermen, the Daleks, and the Sycorax, just to name a few. _This_ is nothing.” 

She looked at him. “Thank you.” 

“Just rest, and don’t talk. Rose will be here soon, a friend of ours is watching Tony. She’s fantastic, I promise he’ll be okay,” he told her. She just nodded, throwing her head back and slumping in the bed. She coughed again, and the Doctor clenched his jaw. “Want me to stay or leave?” 

“Stay. I think,” Jackie said. And so he did. 

Rose arrived a couple hours later, and Jackie had fallen asleep. The Doctor was reading a magazine when the door opened, and she slipped inside. 

“Hey,” she whispered. “How is she?” 

“Waiting for an x-ray, the machine was backed up,” he said. “Nevermind the fact that I could give her an x-ray in five minutes on the TARDIS. It’s too late now, she’s committed to 21st century medicine.” 

Rose gave him a soft smile, and kissed the top of his head. “I think it’s sweet, that you’re worried.” 

He looked at her seriously, “Of course I am, Rose.” 

They didn’t say more, but Rose wrapped her arms around his neck and he leaned against her. “She will be fine though. If I eventually have to yank her out of here and drag her onto the TARDIS I will.” 

“What’s the TARDIS?” Martha asked, standing in the doorway. “Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt. Or eavesdrop. Oh my god, I’m sorry.” 

She went to close the door but Rose just laughed, and the panic left Martha’s eyes. 

“I’m Rose,” she said, and Martha nodded. 

“Dr. Jones, Martha Jones. Nice to meet you,” she said. She looked at the couple, and could see even in the dark at the distance she was at, that they were crazy about each other. It made her smile. “Time for her x-ray.” 

“Good,” the Doctor said, and stood next to Rose. 

“You coming?” Martha asked. The Doctor wanted to, but Rose just got here, and he could feel through their bonds she needed him. 

“Not just yet,” he said. She nodded, and two nurses came in, and moved Jackie out of the room. 

Rose turned to the Doctor and smiled at him knowingly. “You used your psychic paper didn’t you?” 

He just shrugged, and wrapped her in a hug. 

Through the window, the same man was watching them. 

“You don’t have an old boyfriend who might work here and is out to kill me, do you?” he asked. She laughed. 

“No, why?”

“Tall glass of water over there keeps staring,” he said, and Rose turned. When her eyes met the man’s, he glanced away and moved on to something else. 

“Tall glass of water?” she asked. 

“The movie, Rose! The movie we were watching, that’s what she called the prince!” he exclaimed, and she just burst into laughter. 

“I will admit, it is a creepy stare,” she said.

“Right?” he asked, and Rose smirked. 

“I can go talk to him,” she said. The Doctor shook his head. 

“No, let’s focus on Jackie. I’m sure I’m overthinking it,” he said. 

He wasn’t sure. But he knew Rose didn’t need to be distracted, and Jackie needed them, too. 

She was wheeled back into the room a while later, uncharacteristically silent. She smiled when she saw Rose though, who kissed her hand and sat with her. The Doctor could see Rose felt better knowing her mother was okay, for now, so he slipped out the door and went to talk to Martha. 

“How’d it go?” he asked. 

“Oh, I was just coming to find you,” she said. “Normally I’d never show you this, but for some reason the Chief said she’d be honored to have you help, so…” 

She passed a tablet to the Doctor, who took it and examined Jackie’s lungs. 

“That’s a _lot_ of fluid,” he said. Martha nodded. 

“We’re prepping the procedure now, hopefully it helps. Her medical history is a little unclear, though, there’s trace amounts of radiation we can’t understand as there’s no indication of cancer or anything from her past that would require it. Do you know?” she asked. The Doctor ignored her for a moment, trying to decide how honest to be as he stared at the tablet. 

The “radiation”, to this crapshoot 21st century hospital, he knew, was Void Stuff. It never goes away quickly, and he sniffed and handed the tablet back to Martha. 

“No idea,” he said. She held his gaze for a moment, when suddenly the brown haired doctor bumped into her, dropping the tablet on the ground and shattering it. 

“Oh, I’m sorry,” he said, kneeling down to pick it up. 

“It’s alright, I’ll grab a new one,” she said. The Doctor watched the man as he brushed his hand along bare Martha’s elbow, lingering just a little, and smiled at her. He smirked when she turned back around to face him. 

“What?” Martha asked. He just shook his head, an amused expression on his face. 

“Nothing,” he said. Martha rolled his eyes. 

“Literally never seen him before,” she said, unsure why she felt the need to tell him that. It made him look at her though, and a confused expression was on his face. 

“Really?” he asked. She nodded. 

“Yeah, I’ve worked here four years including my internship, he’s never been here before,” she said. 

“He’s in a white coat,” the Doctor said. Martha smiled. 

“You don’t have new doctors come to your hospital from time to time? He probably is an expert in something and is here on a consult,” she said, shrugging. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go get a new tablet so we can start on Jackie.” 

“Quite right,” the Doctor said. He turned back to the room, and could see Rose smiling at her mother through the window, laughing about something, and he grumbled to himself as he followed the man with the brown hair. 

He saw him back down on the first floor as the Doctor stayed hovering above him on the second. His superior hearing was good, but the hospital was busy and noisy and he had no idea what the man was saying to the nurse he was talking to. 

He turned sharply when he felt a hand on his arm. 

“What are you doing?” Rose asked. He smiled at her. 

“Nothing! You should go back to Jackie, yeah? She looked like she needs you right now,” he said. Rose tilted her head to the side and held up her wedding ring. 

“Your heart rate is rapid and the hum in my head is growing more and more incessant,” she said. “What’s wrong?” 

He sighed, but then couldn’t help but pull her into a kiss. He loved his connection to his perfect human, even if it was inconvenient at times. “I love you.” 

“I love you too. Now tell me, please?” she said. 

“I don’t want to cause a distraction from Jackie, Rose,” he said. She crossed her arms in front of her and planted her feet, her weight shifting to her right hip as she waited for him to just spit it out. “Oh, alright. The man from before? Martha said she’s never seen him before in the four years she’s worked here.” 

Rose peered over the railing, where the brown haired doctor was still talking to the nurse.

“Let’s go, then,” she said, and grabbed his hand, leading him down the stairs. He tugged on her, stopping her. 

“Rose, I can’t,” he said. She furrowed her brow at him, and he gave her an exasperated look. He whispered when he spoke next, making sure no one could hear. “I was given privileges so I could help ensure Jackie gets the care she needs. I can’t start interrogating a doctor here, they’ll take them away and you know Jackie won’t let me help her on the TARDIS. We have to be...well...stealthy,” he said with a gleam in his eye. 

He was pushed against the wall for a moment, caught in Rose’s kiss. Some people gave them annoyed looks as they passed them on the stairwell, but she broke fairly quickly and looked him straight in the eye. “You, watching out for her like that...Thank you.” 

He pulled her into a hug. “She’s...family.” 

Rose felt her smile blossom wider than it had all day when she heard him say this, and she nodded. “She is.” 

They linked their hands together and waited, until the man began to move. Slowly and carefully, they followed him, tucking behind walls if they needed to, or pretending to ask for directions. 

He walked into a stairwell, and Rose and the Doctor stayed above him until he reached a dark corner. Rose slipped her hand into her pocket and pulled out her sonic screwdriver, and she knew her husband as doing the same, just in case. 

They heard a sound like gurgling water, and they peered over, tucked against a railing, and saw it. The man was slipping out of his skin, similar to the way a Slitheen would, but the zipper was on his chest, replaced by a green, purple, and black dangly creature with scales and a long tail, stretching its arms above it’s head. Rose was staring at it aghast, and the Doctor grabbed her hand, running back out the door. 

“What is that?” she asked. He pushed some orderlies out of the way, racing back to Jackie quickly, weaving through traffic with Rose. 

“The light we saw yesterday, I ran a test!” he shouted, moving around more people through the hallway. “It was stardust, but there wasn’t enough of it to tell me where it came from.” 

“Okay,” Rose said, ducking as the Doctor slid through two carts of equipment and knocking some trays over. 

“I figured, weelllll, I mean I suspected, it was something that needed power, like a television broadcast to get here,” he said. “I was right.” 

“Doctor, what is that thing?” she asked, running up the stairs with him again, her hand still in his. 

“A Viper,” the Doctor said. “Nasty buggers, really. Live in the Vion Asteroid belt, travel through electricity, also shapeshifters!” 

“Yeah, figured that part out!” Rose cried, pushing the door open with him back to Jackie’s wing. 

“They require DNA of their victims for the shape to work, can only hold one DNA at a time, but each body they inhabit will only have a lifespan of, oh, maybe six hours?” the Doctor said. “He touched Martha, but Martha’s about to touch Jackie.”

“Oh, my god,” Rose said, the pieces clicking. She burst through the door just as Martha was about to put her gloves on, now dressed in more equipment than before. “STOP!” 

Martha looked at her in shock. “You can’t be here!”

“Martha, step back,” the Doctor said. “Rose, put gloves on and one of those yellow robes. Everyone else, have any of you touched Martha’s skin in the last twenty minutes?” 

“Okay, hold on, if this is some sort of -” she began, but the Doctor flashed her a concerned look. 

“Martha, I’m sorry - I’ll explain everything, but right now I need everyone to get out of this room. Have you touched Jackie? Skin to skin contact?” he asked. Martha shook her head. 

“I haven’t touched anyone,” she said. 

“Good,” the Doctor said. The nurses backed away quickly, confused by the Doctor’s attitude, and he put a pair of gloves on his hands as he closed the door. 

“Trouble just seems to find you, doesn’t it?” Jackie muttered, fully aware that something was going on she would rather not be a part of it. Rose, dressed in protective gear like Martha, looked at her. 

“You just have to trust us when we tell you this. We’re space travelers, and the Doctor here, well, he’s a Time Lord. There’s an alien in the hospital at the moment, and it touched your skin. It uses human DNA to form a skin suit that it can use to hide it’s identity. If you touch anyone, they will be the next victim,” Rose said. 

Martha just started laughing. “I’m calling psych.” 

The Doctor moved to the door, stopping her. “Martha, how are you feeling?”

She opened her mouth, but then closed it, realizing she was dizzy. Her eyes widened. The Doctor’s eyes darted to Rose. 

“What is...happening?” Martha asked. 

Screams were heard on the other side of the door, as the Viper broke through into the wing. Jackie sat up, and her hand reached for Rose’s. 

“Doctor!” Jackie shrieked. 

“How long does she have?” Rose asked. The Doctor watched as Martha stumbled into a chair, and he shook his head. 

“A minute, tops,” he said warningly. He was racking his brain for a way to save her, and Rose bit her lip. 

“It took twenty minutes for it to start to affect her? For the Viper to come looking?” she asked. The Doctor nodded. “And you can drain Mum’s lungs?’ 

He nodded again, opening his mouth to ask what she was about to do, their mental block up at the moment, and Rose just let out a breath, “Then come find me. Mum needs you.” 

She moved to Martha, leaving the protective gear on so she wouldn’t pass it on to anyone, and kissed Martha’s cheek. Martha collapsed immediately, the target the Viper put on her transferring to Rose, and the Doctor sighed. He started to smile despite himself at the look Rose was giving him, like she thought it was all a part of the fun. 

A few months ago, he would have started screaming immediately at her for doing something so reckless, but they had come a long way. He knew she knew what she was doing. Her Instincts told her to do this, and he knew she trusted him. 

He trusted her, too. 

“Go, get it far away from everyone,” he said, and she smiled. 

“Twenty minutes. Love you,” she said. 

“I love you,” and he watched as she slipped out the door. 

“YOU’RE JUST GOING TO LET HER GO?!” Jackie cried. 

“Yes,” the Doctor said, moving to grab the needle Martha was about to use before she passed out. 

“What did she do, then? Is she about to become a bloody alien skin suit?” Jackie protested, fighting against the Doctor. 

“No, she’s not,” the Doctor said, trying to pull her back to a resting position. 

“But she kissed her! She said -” Jackie said, and the Doctor groaned. 

“Jackie, I’m busy! Shut up so I can drain this damn fluid and go save her, okay?” he demanded. 

Jackie began to shake her head. Mumbling under her breath as the Doctor quickly worked. When he was done, he set the needle on the tray and Jackie looked at him gratefully, finding it immensely easier to breathe. 

“Thank you,” she said. He nodded. 

“Would've taken half the time and no needles on the TARDIS. For next time,” he said with a wink, and ignored Jackie as she called him a wanker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can I just say... I really enjoy writing this kind of relationship with the Doctor & Jackie. I imagine it's kind of how Tentoo & Jackie are in canon :)


	3. The Biggest Family on Earth

People were scrambling around the floor when he pushed the door open, and he felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Martha. 

“How can I help?” she asked, believing him now. He clenched his jaw, sensing she might be one who is up for adventure. 

“People need to be evacuated. Rose led the Viper away from here, you can see the track marks of its feet there, see?” he pointed to the ground, where the scratches of talons trailed the tile. Martha looked around, and saw light fixtures dangling from the ceiling. “Check the other patients, too, yeah?” 

Martha nodded, and raced off. He looked around, pulling out his sonic and scanned, following the marks on the floor. 

It led him through the entire wing, and into a hallway on the other end of the hall. He knew nine minutes had passed, so he had 11 minutes before Rose’s body would be ready for the Viper to use it. He scanned the stairwell, but the marks had disappeared on the concrete. He decided now was as good as time as any to test how strong their bond was at a distance. He closed his eyes, and nudged Rose’s mind. 

He let out a yelp of relief and joy when he felt her let him in. 

_Where are you?_ he asked. 

_Basement, it was a bad idea, hurry!_

She sent him a flurry of images of how she got there, and without questioning anything he raced down the stairs, running as fast as he possibly could, practically floating down the steps, until he reached the bottom door. 

He slammed it open and continued to run down one more set of stairs until he found her. 

The Viper was in the room, but Rose had somehow managed to block it away from her with some heavy boxes she placed around him. 

_Vortex energy, comes in handy,_ she thought when she saw his confusion. 

_You okay?_

_For now._

He looked around, leaving the bond open so their brains could work together. 

“You said it travels on electricity,” Rose said. “Can we send it back to wherever you said it was from if we reverse whatever it did to get here?” 

“Maybe,” he said. “Hospitals are full of it, aren’t they?” 

They locked eyes, both understanding what the Doctor was suggesting. Rose bit her lip. They couldn’t sever the electricity in the hospital when patients needed it, some of which might die without it. 

“It’s not just electricity, though!” he shouted, hearing her concerns in his head. Rose looked at him, eager to hear more. “It came through the signal from the television station. It needs a frequency!” 

“Do you know what frequency the television station used?” she asked. He frowned, panic beginning to rise just a little. Five minutes were left. 

“No,” he said. Her eyes suddenly widened, Instincts kicking in, and she pulled her sonic screwdriver out, and switched the settings to a transmitter, scanning the Viper as it hissed. The Doctor grinned madly at her. “You’re brilliant.” 

She got the proper reading, and showed it to the Doctor. 

“Come on, let it follow you!” he shouted. He almost grabbed her hand, and he felt his stomach drop when he realized he couldn’t. She had gloves on, but they shouldn’t risk it, so instead he just pushed the door open and watched as Rose’s energy threw the boxes to the side. 

They ran back up the stairs to the first floor they could find, the Doctor in front of her, and he quickly climbed up on a counter, flipping on the television in the waiting area. He realized Martha must have rallied a few other humans to help her escort everyone outside, but he could still hear the screams of a few patients across the hall and through doors, unaware of what was happening. He used his sonic to find a channel that uses the same frequency as the one Viper had, and smirked when he saw they were playing the same ridiculous Christmas movie. 

“Doctor!” Rose shouted, and she slid to a stop a couple feet away from him. 

Two minutes. 

The Viper was growing impatient, he had been without a skin suit much longer than he anticipated, and he was snarling at Rose as he waited for her body to be ready. 

“Starting to get a little dizzy, Doctor,” she told him. He worked faster, trying to find a way to open the frequency up and get the Viper back in the electrical stream. 

“Stay with me, Rose!” he shouted, still working. 

She flashed an image of the sonic screwdriver he gave her Christmas through his mind, and he grinned. 

“Almost ready!” he shouted, pressing one more button. “Do it!” he said. 

Simultaneously, he scanned the frequency of the television and she scanned the Viper. She watched as the electricity spouted out of the television and hit the Viper in his chest, right where the zipper lived, and it screamed. 

Rose squinted her eyes, the light growing unbearably bright, until the Viper was sucked in, leaving a streak of green in the top left corner of the television screen. 

Stardust. 

The Doctor jumped off the counter and ran to Rose, spinning her in a circle as he finally hugged her. He was laughing, and kissed her hungrily, his hands on her thigh and bum, supporting her up as she was still wrapped around him. Her hands here cupped to his cheek, and she smiled against the kiss. 

They felt relief wash between them, and a surge of arousal, love, and happiness swelled in the pit of their stomachs, amplified by their hearts and minds. The Doctor moaned into the kiss, and ended up walking back, pressing Rose against the wall just as she had done to him before, her hands moving to his hair and he explored her mouth with his. 

“Mum will kill you if she finds out we shagged before telling her we were okay,” she whispered. 

“Don’t care,” the Doctor said, and kissed Rose’s neck. She bit her lip. 

The doors burst open, just as the Doctor slid his hand under Rose’s shirt, and Martha’s eyes bulged out her head. 

“Oh, my god, I’m sorry!” she shouted, and tried to turn back around. The Doctor almost let her, but Rose gave him a look and he very reluctantly put her down, not hiding his frustration. 

“Martha, wait!” Rose said. The young doctor turned to her, and stood by the door. “Are you okay?” 

“Yeah, I’m fine. You saved the day, then, I take it?” smirking a little at both of them. Rose’s tongue darted to the corner of her mouth as she smiled and the Doctor shook his head. 

_Minx_

She bit her lip in response. 

“We did. It’s gone, sent it back home,” the Doctor said. “Well done today, Martha Jones. It couldn’t have been a lot worse if you weren’t looking out for everyone while we took care of it.” 

She smiled a little. “That’s my job.” 

Rose smiled at her, and Martha couldn’t help but smile back. The Doctor saw it, the way her smile rubbed off on everyone. 

“I was just going to check and make sure this floor was okay, but it seems like everything can go back to normal. The only floor severely affected was the one your mum was on, Rose. She’s fine, though we do need to evacuate all the patients on that floor and transfer them to another facility,” she said. 

“HA!” the Doctor shouted, the irony that Jackie would have to recover in the TARDIS anyway much too rewarding for him not to shout. Martha stared at him like he was mad, and Rose suppressed a smile, slowly moving her face to his in the way she did often when he said something rude. “What?” 

She shook her head, and squeezed his hand. “We’ll take her home, he can take care of her.” 

“Right,” Martha said, and led them back upstairs. 

With the danger gone, the energy was much calmer when they returned to the floor. The last of the patients were being wheeled away, and Jackie was sitting impatiently in her bed, the third to last person to be transferred. 

“Rose, oh my god, sweetheart!” she shouted as soon as her daughter entered the room. She wrapped her in a hug, her eyes locking with the Doctor’s over her shoulder. “Why would you do that to yourself?” 

Rose just smiled, and rubbed her mother’s hand. “You sound better, like you have more wind in those big ol’ lungs of yours.” 

“The Doctor,” Jackie said. “I suppose I have a lot to say thank you for today, don’t I?” 

“Rose saved me, too,” he said, smiling at her. “Saved everyone in the whole hospital.” 

“You did?” Jackie said, looking at her daughter. Rose just sighed. 

“Let’s get you out of here, yeah? The Doctor can finish fixing you up in the TARDIS. Don’t you dare argue,” she said. Jackie pursed her lips, and just nodded. 

The Doctor’s eyes locked with Rose’s, and they laughed with each other in their heads. 

Martha appeared in the doorway. “Thank you, for saving my life.” 

“Don’t mention it,” Rose said. The Doctor looked at her, and the both grinned. 

“Martha,” the Doctor began, “want to see what the TARDIS is?” 

The woman was chewing on her lip, but she nodded as the Doctor helped Jackie out of bed, and together, the four of them climbed into Jackie’s car.

Rose drove this time. 

When they reached the house, Pete and Donna ran out, Tony wrapped in the red head’s arms. The Doctor thanked her for coming, and told Pete he was taking care of Jackie’s illness once and for all and he was climbing on board too, and he wouldn’t take no or an answer. Rose hugged Donna, and introduced everyone to Martha, and soon the TARDIS was full of people, still parked in the Tyler’s backyard. 

Tony was starting to play with wires, which Rose immediately stopped, scooping him up and making him sit in her lap. She turned off the controls on her screwdriver and let Tony play with it instead, which made the Doctor grin when he saw. 

Martha was standing outside the ship, her mouth to the floor. 

“You alright?” Donna asked. 

“How’s it do that?” she whispered. “It’s just a box! Just a wooden box!” 

“No, it isn’t. I thought that, too,” she said. “Come on, it’s perfectly safe.” 

“But -” Martha said. Rose appeared next to Donna, Tony nestled into her hip, playing with her hair. 

“It stands for Time And Relative Dimension In Space,” she said. “It’s our home.” 

“All of you?” she asked. Rose smiled. 

“In a way. Mostly me and the Doctor, usually, but family tags along from time to time. You wanna be family?” she asked. 

Martha stood still, completely unsure. Rose nodded. 

“Do you at least want to see how the Doctor is fixing up Mum?” she asked. Martha smiled, and took a tentative step on board. Rose led her down the hall to the infirmary, where the Doctor was handing a pill to Jackie, who was hooked up to some fluids and sitting on the exam table. 

“Take it,” he said. Jackie was about to make some snide comment, but thought better of it, knowing the Doctor saved the universe again today. She put the pill in her mouth and took a sip of water. He handed the same pill to Pete, who didn’t need quite as much help, but still had something dripping into his IV, Martha noticed. “You too.” 

He took it as well, and they both stared at each other, feeling better almost immediately. 

“You could have bloody well told me it was just fluids and a pill!” Jackie shouted. The Doctor smirked. 

“I did. You told me that was rubbish and hit me on the back of the head,” he said simply. Martha laughed. 

“Sorry,” she said. 

“Welcome aboard!” he said, and he hugged her. It was a quick hug, and the Doctor moved to say hello to Tony, who was reaching for him from Rose’s hip. “Hello, monster!” 

Tony began to play with the Doctor’s hair, too, and he flashed wide eyes to Rose, who just bit her lip. Donna laughed too, also fully aware by now at how much the Doctor cares about his stupid hair. 

“What kind of medicine is this?” Martha asked, taking a closer look at the bags on Jackie and Pete’s IV stands. 

“Oh, it’s nothing, really. My own design,” he said. 

“WHAT?!” Jackie shouted, and the Doctor burst into laughter. 

“Kidding,” he said, and Jackie rolled her eyes. “It’s from the 50th century. Medicine comes a long way. This removes all traces of a virus or bacteria from someone’s system in, oh, about ten minutes. The pill keeps the nausea at bay.” 

Jackie opened her mouth to say something about how he gives her nausea, but Rose glared at her and she stopped. 

Not that it would have mattered. The Doctor would know she was teasing. She loved her stupid idiot of a son in law, despite how much he drives her up the wall. 

Martha shook her head and looked around the whole bay, taking in the vast amount of equipment and medicines that surrounded her. 

“It’s amazing,” she said. 

“Did we mention it travels in time?” Rose asked, and the Doctor felt his hearts flutter. Martha sighed. 

“Mad, the lot of you,” she said, and Jackie agreed. 

The Doctor and Rose, and probably Donna too, could sense that Martha was intrigued, despite her flippancy. She was chewing on her lip again, and ran a hand along the wall. 

“Where does it go?” she asked. 

“Anywhere, everywhere, anytime, all times,” the Doctor said, leaning against the doorframe with Tony still in his arms. 

“It can go anywhere?” Martha repeated, and the Doctor nodded. 

“Can it like...cross dimensions and stuff? Is that real?” she asked. 

“No,” the Doctor said, a little more sternly than he anticipated. Donna’s eyes darted to him, and she noticed how Rose, Jackie, and Pete all looked at the ground. “I mean, it can, but...no.” 

Rose wrapped her arm around his waist, giving it a squeeze, before she took Tony from him, handing him off to Jackie. 

“Okay,” Martha said, unsure of how to respond. 

“Fancy a trip?” Rose asked, her chin resting on her husband’s shoulder. She was rubbing a hand along his back and sending him reassurance through their minds and hearts, and he managed to push most his insecurities aside at her touch. 

“I...think...yes,” she whispered, and then started to laugh. “I guess this makes me mad, too, doesn’t it?” 

Rose smiled and reached for her hand, leading her into the console room with Donna at their heels. 

The Doctor looked at Jackie and Pete, and sighed. 

“Still gets to you, too, then?” Pete asked. The Doctor clenched his jaw. 

“More than you know,” he whispered. There was a moment of silence, before his demeanor shifted and he smiled at them. “Right! You’re all fixed up, thank you both for a marvelous visit. But apparently it’s time for us to go.” 

“Come here,” Jackie said knowingly, and pulled him into a hug with Tony caught between them. He hugged her back, squeezing just a little, unspoken words of gratitude swimming between them. 

“See you both soon?” Pete asked. 

“Of course,” the Doctor said, smiling. He followed them to the console, where they said goodbye to Rose, and thanked Donna and Martha again. Then they were gone. 

The Doctor was standing by the console, prepping for their next destination. Rose looked at him, worried he might be dwelling from the slight increase in pressure she felt through her head and heart. She opened her mind. 

_She didn't mean anything by it, Doctor,_ she thought. He just looked at her, and smiled slightly. 

_I know._

Donna cleared her throat. “Well, guess I’ll see you weirdos later.”

“Why, don’t you want to come?” the Doctor asked, and Rose smiled. 

“Oh, I just didn’t -” Donna said, but she sighed. “I do.” 

“Good,” the Doctor said, grinning. Martha was looking at all of them, still thinking this was all a bit mad, but she couldn’t deny the excitement she felt inside her belly. 

“Want to know or be surprised, Martha Jones?” he asked. 

“Tell me,” she said. He grinned. 

“Aquatica! Underwater city!” he announced. Donna and Rose smiled widely, and Martha just stared at him like he was crazy. 

“What?” she asked. 

With a flourish of his wrist, they felt the TARDIS begin her dematerialization sequence, and Rose held Martha’s hand, excited for her very first trip.


End file.
